The Yule Ball- one shot
by icepopsickle
Summary: Hermione's hurt after Ron's rude behavior with her. Draco notices. What will he do? Christmas one-shot!


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **...xxx...**

Hermione hoped she wasn't over dressed for the Yule Ball. She stood in front of the long mirror in her dorm, and stared at herself, not being able to comprehend what she was seeing. The periwinkle blue gown, of light satin, hugged her figure like a second skin, showing off her curves, a little more than she intended to. The gown flared slightly at her hips, and fell down like a smooth waterfall pooling around at her feet. Her hair was sleek and shiny, unlike the usual rat's nest she carried around every day. She'd tied it in a low bun; a few strands coming out lose to frame her heart-shaped face. She wore little makeup, just enough to highlight her eyes and her lips.

Hermione sighed. The dorm was completely silent and she was alone, Lavender and Parvati had already left, looking gorgeous in their mini black dresses. Compared to them, she felt like an old, fat grandmother. Oh, how would she look in front of all those stunningly beautiful women? She would look like an embarrassment, both to herself and to Victor. _Victor Krum_. She groaned. Why did she agree to go to the ball with him? To make a fool out of herself? Sounds of laughter were drifting up towards her dormitory, filling the silent room with tinkling laughs that made her sick. She just had to grit her teeth and go out there. She'd stay for a while, and come straight back. No arguments. Anxious but determined, Hermione strolled out of her dormitory and descended down the spiral stair cases,taking care not to tread on her precious gown. The common room was empty, the last of them having left through the portrait hole. Crookshanks was lying on the couch, snoring , she thought wryly, at least she had Crookshanks to come back to if the ball didn't go well. She knew Ron wouldn't be too happy about her choice for a partner...  
The Fat Lady's mouth hung open as she looked at Hermione.

"Well?" Hermione asked nervously. There was a moments pause, when the Fat Lady just goggled at her. Then-  
"You look beautiful, dear." She said. Hermione smiled, feeling slightly better, and turned and walked down the corridor. She could do this.

...

Draco was trying hard not to push Pansy Parkinson off his arm. It was like hanging out with a slug- sticky, slimy and disgusting. She looked even more horrible than usual, in her ridiculous dress, not to mention the hideous amount of make up she'd put on. Ugh. He almost thought Crabbe looked better. Almost.

Unfortunately, Draco had had no choice in his selection for his partner for the ball. How could he even bare to ask any of the other girls in the other houses? Slytherin's was the only choice, and it didn't have a lot of was there, ready made. He hadn't even asked her; he first thought of going alone, but she'd sought him out anyway, and he hadn't rejected. Now he was thoroughly wishing he had said NO, the first opportunity he'd got. He sighed inwardly.

Trying to look cool and intimidating, Draco entered the Great Hall, which looked spectacular in the new decorations. The tables were pushed to the far walls, and the dance floor was flooded with dancing, shifting lights. The champions were walking ahead of him, not far away. He spotted Potter (who looked extremely awkward) with the Patil girl. Even she looked better than the ugly doll that was hanging off his arms. Chang and Diggory were together. Well like he cared; they were a bunch of Hufflepuffs. Old duffers. Fleur was with Davis; a lucky stroke perhaps, no doubt. Davis was eyeing his partner like she was eye candy and Draco couldn't blame him. She looked stunning in her grey dress, her long hair falling elegantly down her exposed shoulders.

But the real shock came when he saw Victor Krum. Her back was to him, but he noticed the girls' petite frame, lovely curves and smooth back. Draco didn't remember anyone who'd looked this good at Hogwarts. Perhaps it was one of Fleur's friends? The the girl turned around and Draco forgot to breathe. This was not happening. No way. It was impossible. He must surely be dreaming! Because Hermione Granger couldn't look so beautiful, so dazzling, so...perfect. Her face was literally glowing and Draco found himself not able to look away from her- soft, brown eyes; full, red lips; high, pink cheekbones; long, thick eyelashes; lips stretched into a cute smile that almost drove him mad. And her hair...what had she done to her hair? Where was that bushy haired bookworm? And who was this lovely, sexy, young brunette?

...

Hermione thought it wasn't so bad. She was enjoying herself immensely. Victor was such an amazing person, not at all what she had expected him to be. After they walked through the doors (Hermione trying to ignore the stares that followed her), Victor had led her through the dance, gracefully gliding above the dance floor. She'd expected him to be clumsy, but he was as skillful at dancing as he was at Quidditch. She soon forgot about the others; it was only her and a normal boy called Victor, not the international Quidditch player, Krum. They were just two normal people having dinner and talking about their lives. Victor hadn't once mentioned the tournament, nor the fact that he was famous. He was so down-to-earth and modest. He talked about his passion for Quidditch, his life in Bulgaria, his family- how he loved them, how they supported him and pushed him to stand where he stood today. He talked about his life with a loving caress in his voice, even if his English was plain fucked up, and Hermione yearned to hear more. It had been so long since she'd talked to someone like this, someone so earnest. In his own ways, Victor reminded her of Harry.

"In our castle," Victor was saying as they proceeded towards the drinks table, "fires only lit for education purposes, Herm-own-nini."

"But, it must be freezing there!" Hermione said, shocked.

Victor nodded. "It is. But von gets used to it." As Victor talked, he put his arm around her waist, that made her slightly uncomfortable. Only slightly. She liked Victor. She really did. But she didn't think she could have any romanticism with him. She could already see himself as her steady friend, someone that was almost like a brother. But if he had feelings for her...she shuddered to think how awkward it might get. Suddenly she spotted Ron and Harry sitting alone in one of the corner tables. Her gut twisted, slightly. She felt a little guilty for ignoring them the entire night but she was so occupied with Victor...

"Go." Victor said nodding in Harry and Ron's direction. "I vill get drinks."

Hermione smiled and made her way over to them.

"Hi." she said collapsing next to Harry, who smiled and said, "Hey." Ron however stayed silent.

"It was a good night, wasn't it? Victor's just gone to get us drinks!" she said.

"Don't know about you, Hermione." Harry said, sighing. "But all I want is to get into bed."

"Did you both dance? I didn't see you that much-"

"Of course you didn't." Ron said coolly. "Must have been busy with dear old Victor."Hermione's smile faded a little.

"What's your problem Ron?"

"Well just the fact that you're fraternizing with the enemy!"

"Fraternizing with the enemy?" Hermione asked incredulously, looking around at Harry who shrugged helplessly. "Who was the one who wanted Victor Krum's autograph only a few days ago?" she hissed.

"I bet he only asked you to the ball so he could get inside information about Harry-"

"For your kind information," Hermione interjected. "Victor hasn't asked a single thing about Harry!"

"Well then he must think you can help him for the tournament." Ron said quickly backtracking.

"Ron!" she said furiously. "How could you say something like that?"

"Oh look, Vicky is here. You can go now." Ron snarled, although she knew Victor hadn't come back yet. Harry was keeping his mouth shut tight, looking straight ahead. Hot, bubbling anger rose at the pit of her stomach, and she stood up glaring. Without a word, she strode out of the Great Hall, crossed the entrance chamber, threw the open the doors and disappeared into the cold night.

...

Draco was very uncomfortable the entire time he was there at the party. Pansy kept trying to sit on his lap and murmur things in his ear as though she thought he was really interested. And to add to his difficulties, his eyes kept straying towards Granger, who seemed to be in her own world with Victor frigging Krum. Once he'd confirmed with Blaise that it was indeed Hermione Granger, he was wilting on the inside. Why couldn't she come with him to the ball? Oh yeah, you're her enemy idiot, he thought bitterly. It wasn't like he wanted to be her foe! Situations just made it that way.

His eyes had strayed to her even on his first time on the train to Hogwarts, but when he'd seen her with Potter and Weaselking he stopped. He was weary of approach. He wanted to be her friend. Then he found out she was a mud- muggle born! That effectively had stopped him forever, because his father would burn his underwear if he ever found out he was hanging out with her. He hated that Scarface and Weasel-king got to be with her, when he was so...friendless. Crabbe and Goyle...they didn't even count as acquaintances. Merely fungi on his shadow.

Yes, it was always lonely being Draco Malfoy. That's why he was always so rude to the "Golden trio". They reminded him that he was a loner. It mad him bitter and resentful.

He was just deciding that he better go back to his dorm, and was trying to find a good reason to tell Pansy, when he saw Granger storm out of the hall. Draco frowned, thinking hard. Just moments before he'd seen her laugh with Krum, what had happened to make her so upset? As though his limbs were out of his control, Draco stood and followed her out into the grounds, ignoring the voices of everyone who called him back.

The grounds were frosty, and the air stung on his cheeks. The moon was full and bright, and the sky was littered with stars. The rose bushes were full of real fairy lights, illuminating the stone path. He could make out Granger's slender form briskly walking towards the forest. Feeling invariably like a prince following the mystery lady, he rushed to see what she was up to. Suddenly, right at the edge of the forest, she collapsed down, her back propped against a tree. She must have been really upset, Draco though walking slowly, that she came all the way here to-

He stopped short.

 _ **Granger was crying.**_

She was actually crying, tears streaming down her face, and her shoulders shaking with renewed sobs. Draco felt slightly awkward at seeing such a strong person, break down like this. But more than awkward...he felt angry. He was angry towards whoever had made her cry like this...whoever had broken her. He felt surprised at his own feelings. Since when did he care what she felt? He had to rejoice, that she was despairing, right? That's what his father's principles were all about. But maybe he wasn't one to follow those stupid principles about pure bloods being superior to muggle-borns. He'd always known it was bullshit, especially after discovering how smart Granger was. In fact, he respected her. A lot.

Because he loved the way she said 'Mudblood and proud of it'. He loved that she carried herself upright, that she gave no shits about anything anyone said about her blood status. He respected her. And now some sick bastard had made her bawl her eyes out. Draco would have his balls. For that, he'd have to find out who did it.

...

Hermione wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She was so stunned by Ron's words, she didn't know what exact emotion was running through her mind now. Anger? Hurt? Sadness? Rejection? Regret? It was all so bloody confusing! How could Ron have said that? How could he be so mean? And what had she done that he'd had to be so mean? Just because he hadn't noticed she was a girl, and someone else had...was it really her fault? What a jerk!

She really wanted to smack his face now. But she was also sad that he hadn't asked her out first. Well, she was right there! Sure, in front of Fleur, she was no beauty, but they were supposed to be friends! She'd felt so rejected when nobody but Neville had asked her, that she'd said yes to Victor. And a lot of good it did me, she thought bitterly. She was sure all the girls were going to make fun of her tomorrow. And especially that lowlife Pansy and her pack of Slytherins. Hermione groaned. Fucking Slytherins taunts were there to be endured tomorrow! No doubt Pansy would remark on her dressing sense and her maybe think that she'd somehow tricked Krum into going with her. And Malfoy would probably call her some names (mudblood included) and insult her all he wanted. Draco fucking Malfoy. What a jerk!

 _But he hadn't been a jerk for about 10 seconds,_ a voice said in her mind. Yes, it was true he hadn't been a jerk on their first ever journey to Hogwarts on the train. She'd been trying to help Neville find his toad when she'd bumped into him. His cronies weren't there with him.

"Oh sorry!" she had said.

"It's okay." he had smiled.

"What's your name?"

"Draco Malfoy. And yours?"

"Hermione Granger." They'd smiled and parted ways again. And the next time they'd met..BOOM! Born enemies due to blood status, nothing you can do about it.  
Well it was rubbish in her opinion. If this mania about pure bloods being better than muggleborns was never there, why they could have been best friends! He had never smiled at her again. It was always sneering and snarling and smirking in superiority...

Footsteps approached, crunching the snow one the ground. Hermione looked up through moist eyes and could make out Draco Malfoy's lean stature walking towards her. His pale blonde hair glinted in the moonlight, and his hands were in his robe pockets. Hermione's heart plummeted. Why had he come here? To make her feel more miserable than she already was? She didn't even know if it was possible any more. He stopped a few feet away from her, and she saw him hesitate to come closer. _Of course,_ she thought scathingly, _how could he come any closer to a mudblood?_

"Granger-" he started, but she interrupted him.

"Whatever it is you came for, Malfoy, finish it and get lost." she said calmly and was pleased that there was no emotion in her voice.

"Right." He said, coming forward and crouching down before her, so that their eye's were level.

"Why-why are you..uhh..crying?" he asked, hesitantly.

"None of your business." she seethed. "Come to have a gloat? Well then get on with it! What are you waiting for?"

"No Granger, I didn't come to have a gloat." He replied calmly.

"Then why the fuck did you come here?"

"Calm down, Granger. I wont bite." he said rolling his eyes. "Now tell me what happened."

"What are you playing at?" she asked suspiciously. What was his motive behind this?

"Nothing!" he said impatiently. "Just goddamed tell me why you're crying!"

"So that you can tell it to the whole school?" she asked coolly. "No thanks."

"Hermione, don't be such a kid!" Hermione was shocked into silence. He had used her name. Hermione, he'd said. And it felt.. _.right_. It felt magical. She hadn't truly appreciated the elegance of her name, before he'd said it out loud. And Draco Malfoy had called her by her real name. Was this news or what?

"You-you.." she sputtered. He merely looked at her.

"You said my name." she finally managed.

"I did." he said sounding amused. She noticed how silver his eyes actually were. Pearly silver. They were distractingly beautiful.

"Tell me what happened." he said softly. Hermione had never, ever heard him talk like this before. Was this someone else, that she though was Malfoy because she had been thinking about him? She pinched herself and winced. No...this was real. He was really there talking softly to her. She'd never seen this side of him before. _Or had she?_ On the train during their first journey to Hogwarts?

And so she did. She told him everything that had happened. How she'd felt rejected. How Ron had treated her that night. How she hated being chosen as a last resort. How she felt inadequate in front of the other girls. How all the Slytherins would taunt her-  
She stopped short at this, realizing he himself was a Slytherin.

Draco looked at the vulnerable form of Hermione Granger for a long time. He felt guilty, because most of her had expected him to be harsh and cruel towards her. He hadn't had a clean record till now, had he?

"Hermione," he said after a long pause. He loved her name on his lips. "first, never, ever think you're inadequate! Merlin, how could you? Have you ever thought about how smart you are? How kind, intelligent, forgiving? How...beautiful?"

Hermione had stopped breathing. Draco continued ranting on.

"Just because those girls wear skimpy dresses, they aren't all that great. I don't respect them! I respect you! And as for that prat, Weasley, well he's just jealous because Victor Krum got to have such a beautiful lady with him tonight and he couldn't. As for the Slytherins... I- I'm sorry about all that I said, okay? I really am."

Draco didn't know where he was getting all the courage to say this. It didn't even feel like it was coming from his mouth. It was his soul talking to her, not his mind. _**Strange.** _

"Draco Malfoy..." Hermione whispered. "You apologized to me."

Draco smiled. A true smile. Something he hadn't done in what...years? It felt weird on his face, but pleasantly so. The night breeze had picked up, whistling through the leaves. The moonlight grew stronger, and the night quieter. They looked at each other a long moment, each lost in their own thoughts.

And in that moment, they weren't two people from rival houses; they weren't enemies; they weren't the two who always shouted obscenities to each other. They were just a simple boy and a simple girl enjoying the silence that the night offered. They were just Draco and Hermione, not Malfoy and Granger. Hermione was just an ordinary girl who drew comfort from an ordinary boy, all enmity forgotten. No blood status. No Gryffindor-Slytherin friction.

Just plain and simple friendship. At least a foundation for a friendship that would later grow into something else. **_Something beautiful._** Something perhaps, like _**love.**_

It was just plain and simple _**Dramione.**_

 _ **...xxx...**_

 **Hey guys! I hope you liked the one shot! I didn't work on it much, so forgive me if it isn't that eye-catching. Just a small clip for all the Dramione lovers!  
**

 **Adios amigos,**

 **La icepopsickle! xD**


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